Never Melt
by constantgrey
Summary: Young Syaoran is forced to stay in a new place, where he meets Princess Sakura. Will a love start, or is it just a childish crush? AU, Please read and review! ss
1. Doors to Keys

Never Melt

_**Chapter One: Doors to Keys**_

Disclaimer: I do not own Cardcaptor Sakura.

AN:

AU—Sakura is a princess and Syaoran is a prince. Kind of cliché, but I ran out of ideas… --" I'm not good at breaking things into paragraphs, so sorry in advance if this sucks.

Note: Sakura and Syaoran are ten years old.

--- : represents a scene break, or something like it. It also indicates a switch in P.O.V.

I hope you like it!

-----

Syaoran Li was not a bear. But he did look like one. And standing next to his towering temporary guardian, he was as small as a well-made plush doll.

He had messy brown hair that, at an angle, looked almost like fur, and his youth brought on an aura of cuteness that put him on the same level as any of teddies that Sakura had ever seen.

His threatening scowl diverted (or at least made an attempt to) others from thinking said thoughts. He did not appreciate it when people cooed at him or when they—the more unsuspecting ones—tried to pat his hair. He especially hated false smiles, whose owners treated him as a toddler.

Syaoran was no baby; he had already begun training in swordsmanship and martial arts. He was very good at mathematics—his tutors said so!—and he could always out-think the other kids. He had already--

"Prince Syaoran! Please pay attention," the old man to his right scolded. Then he apologized to the masters of the castle, who had kindly let them stay until the turmoil at home had passed. "I am sorry. He has been very distracted lately."

The king, prince, and princess of the land stood before them. The king spoke with an even gaze, while the prince's eyes slowly narrowed and the princess shuffled her feet. "The move has been hard for him, I should believe," the King said. "Touya, Sakura, go and say 'hi' to him."

For a moment, Syaoran wondered if this king's smile was as false as the rest. He frowned, frustrated, when he found nothing but gentleness. Perhaps this king really was… nice?

The other prince stepped forward. "Hi," he grunted, glared, and brusquely stepped back. Syaoran, as stiff as an icicle, nodded back. The king sighed.

Sakura, the princess, was a little friendlier. She smiled and introduced herself, all the while hanging onto a curious trinket. When the group prepared to leave the main hall, Sakura passed the object into his hands. "It is a present for you, from all of us. Yes, even Touya." She paused to glare at her brother's back. "Big Brother is very nice, but he becomes tense around strangers."

"Is he that awkward around everyone?"

"No, but he can seem that way. I hope that someday, he can find a wife. Then, he will be nicer to everyone."

"You think that will ever happen?" Syaoran asked snidely.

"Yes," Sakura said seriously, "anything is possible." Then realizing their companions had left, she took his hand and led him to a petite dining area.

Syaoran did not mind Sakura's informality. It was refreshing to be freed from constant regulations. Yet being raised into the boy he was, he could not entirely approve of it. When they were in view of the others, the maids, and extra sentries, he softly pulled his hand away.

Sakura did not seem to notice, or if she did, she did not care. She _ran_ to the nearest rectangular table, earning another point of disapproval from Syaoran, and took a seat.

---

Since there were only five of them, true dining etiquette was hardly required. The King and Touya let Sakura act the way she wanted, meaning, they accepted her cries of enthusiasm over food. They let her have as many seconds as she wanted. To them, watching her recount food disputes with the family pet Kero was actually pleasant. Her demeanor was so sweet, even Syaoran relented and mentally gave her a few points back.

"I was so mad at him! And then Kero waved the spoon around and accidentally hit the clock. I know he did not mean to, but… Kero should have been more careful!"

"Your dog eats with a spoon?" Syaoran wondered skeptically.

"No, he is not a dog! He is a Guardian Beast of the Clow," Sakura replied brashly.

"And what is _that_, exactly?"

"Well… it is true!"

Touya interrupted, "Sakura has an active imagination." He turned to her, "Do you not? ... Baby monster."

"I am not a monster!" Sakura grumbled, crossing her arms at the table. The simple motion was very unbecoming for a young lady. "I am not a baby, either! Touya…!" She glowered at them with all the ferocity of one willing to pull hair and throw sticks.

Touya smirked. "Whatever you say…" his voice hushed to a whisper, "…monster."

All Syaoran got out of that dinner was that Touya loved to poke fun at his sister. And that somewhere, there was a spoon-wielding dog running around.

---

Later that evening, Syaoran took a good look at the trinket. It was a small, oddly-shaped key that was probably used for decoration. It was made of golden and silver metal that twisted in 'S's to feign the form of vines. Syaoran figured it was of no importance, so he tucked it away under his pillow.

He would not admit it, but he was nervous. The people here were new to him. The architecture looked different, the food tasted strange; everything had changed. Even the sky had been bluer back home. Yet a new adventure would make him stronger. He would have to become strong if he ever took the throne.

That fantastic day seemed very, very far away. After all, he was still young and had a lot left to experience. Not that he would ever admit it.

---

AN: Any ideas or suggestions are appreciated! Please leave a review.

---


	2. Sugar to Kindness

Never Melt

_**Chapter Two: Sugar to Kindness**_

Disclaimer: I do not own Cardcaptor Sakura.

AN: This chapter is based on the Valentine's Day treats from the manga.

Not using contractions is too hard, so I'll leave them in. Also, there is no magic in this fic, except for the magic of love.

-----

Sakura sat in the kitchen of the big castle, watching as her best friend and cousin Tomoyo cooked up something delicious. She did not know what her friend would make, but since it was Tomoyo cooking, it would always be good. She passed her the ingredients she called for.

"What kind of cookies are you making?" Sakura asked.

"I don't know what shape they will be," said Tomoyo as she tasted the batter, "but they will be very sweet. You like sugar, right?"

"And honey," Sakura added. "I want to cut the dough!"

When they finished, there were a dozen palm-sized cookies; each was in the shape (or somewhat in the shape) of stars, hearts, and random teddy bears with icing for eyes.

"How many will you take?" Sakura asked.

"Five, for my mother and some friends at home."

"Then that would leave me with…" Sakura's face contorted in concentration. "…seven?"

"Yup!"

"Okay, so that means there will be one for Father, Big Brother, Kero… but Kero will want extra, so that's… hang on… If I give three to Kero and one each to the visiting old man and Syaoran, that would be perfect!"

"Don't you want any?"

"Um… I hadn't thought of that…" Sakura raked her brain for more possibilities.

"Why don't you give two to Kero? That way, you can have one, too."

Although Tomoyo's reasoning was superb, Sakura felt that Kero couldn't handle having just two. She was sure Kero felt that way, too.

"Ah! I have it! Here, give Kero this!" And the brilliant Tomoyo pulled from her dress pocket something wrapped in delicate paper. It was a nice, round sweet bun. "I don't really need it, and since he's always hungry… Here."

Sakura was sincerely touched. "Aw, thank you, Tomoyo! You're the best!" Tomoyo beamed.

"Let's hand these out before they get cold!"

---

It was dark in the room Syaoran was in. The sun was already out, and there was a huge, tall window, but someone had come in and drawn the curtains. Someone had also secured them together with a ribbon. There was no way a little kid could have _reached_ the knot, never mind undone it.

The room was filled with tall shelves that snaked along each wall. They held the most impressive-looking books. Syaoran wondered whether it was possible to read them all. He selected a random volume and opened it. Its title read, "Clow."

This must be the Clow Sakura was talking about, he thought. He began to read it.

The Clow told of the adventure of a cardcaptor whose only goal was to bring happiness to the people around her. The Cards she had to capture were modeled similarly to the folklore of his old home. For some unknown reason, the cardcaptor reminded him of Sakura.

In her world, there was no one right way to do things. And people became happier after meeting her. In fact, the everyone around her seemed to be touched by her sweetness in one way or another.

But maybe he was over-thinking things. No one could be that unassuming, kind-hearted, _perfect_.

"Hello?" a muffled voice asked. "May I come in?"

"Go ahead."

The object of his curiosity stepped in, completely oblivious to the cold and dark. "The old man said you would be in someplace like this. Do you want a cookie? Tomoyo and I made them this morning. Well, actually, Tomoyo made them. I just picked their shapes."

"I don't need it," Syaoran replied icily. In reality, he didn't like cookies or anything with high sugar content. He didn't see refusing the offer as impolite, either. He was simply honoring his taste buds.

---

"I see." Tomoyo had said the same thing, but the meanings were completely different. Something in Syaoran's tone chilled her. Yesterday, he had been enjoyable and friendly, but today he proved he could be just the opposite. Syaoran's attitude mystified her. Couldn't he be one thing and stick with it?

Yet to Sakura, this only meant he was a new thing to understand. Everyone had their differences. It was her job to respect those differences. If everyone were the same, that would be boring, wouldn't it?

"Um, why don't you want it?" she couldn't help asking.

"I don't like sweets," he said not unkindly. "But since you went through the trouble of making it…" He felt his inner resolve collapse. "But since you made it, I guess I'll like it." Sheepishly, he accepted the cookie. "…Is that all you came to say?"

Sakura smiled. "Yes, so I'll be out of your hair in no time! Ah, have you seen Kero? Kero is a pig, so I have to give him two cookies and a bun." She pouted a little and shook her fist in a teasing way. Then in a flash, she disappeared.

Syaoran couldn't remember when she left. The occurrence seemed so abrupt; he was left wondering if she really was a magical cardcaptor, like the girl from The Clow.

"Sakura…" But she was gone before he could say anything. What would he have said, anyway?

He looked at the book that still rested on the oak table. Why didn't he like sweets? He really didn't know…

---

AN: Augh… Too many ellipsies or whatever the "…"s are called. -- Old habits die hard.

Does anyone know what food or what kind of food Syaoran likes? Should I put an ET pairing, too?

To lovendreamz: Thank you for reviewing! You're my first reviewer for this fic. Thank yooooou! hugs

To SnowNekoGirl aka Yuki Shirogane: Thank you so much! I was so thrilled somebody else reviewed, I went right back to the laptop to write chapter two! --

Thank you for reading:) Please leave a review!

(And for those of you that don't review… A plague on all your houses! o Just kidding. Er… I don't own Romeo and Juliet, either… --')


	3. Ice to Cream

Never Melt

**_Chapter Three: Ice to Cream_**

Disclaimer: I do not own Cardcaptor Sakura.

AN: Um… I repeat: There is no magic in this one. Just a note to remember… : There is no magic—just some poorly constructed/invented science.

---

The next day, Sakura volunteered to show the two visitors around town. King Fujitaka Kinomoto had suggested it, and since she had nothing more fun to do, Sakura asked that she be the one to escort them.

"I'm going, too," Touya said.

"No, Touya," the King shook his head. "If you don't keep up with your studies, you will fall behind. Plus, we have important business today. Sakura will be fine," he reassured. He knew his son was a worrywart when it came to Sakura. "Tomoyo and Yukito are also going."

"Everyone except me! Sakura is a princess! There could be some evil villain after her! What if she gets kidnapped?"

The King sighed. "You trust Tomoyo and Yukito, don't you? They will not let anything harm Sakura."

"Yes, but that boy… Syaoran… I don't like him."

---

Unfortunately for Touya, nothing could be done about it. The next morning, Sakura left the castle accompanied by four others. The group wore comfortable spring clothes that hinted only slightly at their station. Syaoran was appalled by their casual clothing, but then again, he wore normal clothes, too. Saying anything about it would make him a hypocrite.

As they left the castle, the guards waved and Sakura waved back. The simple act made the stiffly standing castle help seem less forbidding. Could this be because of Sakura's magic? Syaoran thought. Even as he denied it, he couldn't help but accept her. Sakura was cheerful and kind. No one should ruin that.

Little by little, he had begun to appreciate her. Since the first day, Sakura was a thing too good to be true. But he found that it _was_ _true_, that it was possible for someone to be as perfectly sweet as her. Everything she did gave him reason to believe she was not of _this_ world but from the world of the cardcaptor.

Sakura is really nice, he thought. He couldn't help but smile, just a little.

---

They arrived at the heart of the city, where big markets and small stands had been set up. Delicious smells wafted from every street corner. Everywhere, there were colors and talking and people having fun. Sakura ran to the nearest open-air shop. She studied the goods seriously and made a point to exclaim every time she saw something cute.

The other four slowly followed her, as she flitted from stall to stall. Morning passed quickly; soon, it was lunchtime. Syaoran's guardian left earlier to find an empty table at a café, while Sakura and Yukito left to buy something to eat. The remaining two wandered around the café grounds, looking for the old man. Tomoyo took a stab at conversation. "Sakura is cute, isn't she?"

Syaoran started. "What?"

"She deserves the finest accessories a princess could have. When it comes to her wedding day, I want to make the dress!"

"You are thinking of that already!"

Tomoyo's eyes sparkled at the thought of dresses. "Not only that, but as she grows up, too! She will look so pretty in everything!"

"Yeah."

Tomoyo sobered a little. She turned to him, "You will be there, too, right? By her side as she grows up?"

Syaoran shook his head. "This move is only temporary. I should be leaving in a few weeks. Besides… she has so many friends, she won't notice when I am gone."

"Yes, she will. She cares about _all_ her friends." Tomoyo smiled mysteriously. "I'm sure she'll miss you the most."

---

Syaoran's head snapped up at this. Sakura really would care about something like this, he thought. It is just like her to do something so… meaningless. When I'm gone, I'll be gone forever.

In his heart, he wasn't really sure. Could he really leave _forever_?

He told himself that Sakura would not care, but he knew that she would. He didn't want to hurt her by leaving, so maybe a present would make parting easier? But Sakura didn't care about material things. Sure, she was fascinated by their beauty, but she would not trade a memory for all the money in the world. Sakura was sweet that way.

So what could he give her that she didn't already have? Friends, family, a pet—she already had them. Dresses? Tomoyo had the next thousand all but made. What could she possibly want?

---

That afternoon, the group went hunting for ice cream. It was a warm, spring day, so ice cream would be the best cure for anything.

Sakura and Tomoyo both ordered a Strawberry Swirl, while Yukito had a triple-scoop with all three basic flavors. Syaoran's guardian said he was too old for anything sweet; so he ordered something else from an adjacent stand. "And what do you want, Syaoran?" Sakura asked.

"Chocolate, I guess."

"What? I thought you would have wanted plain vanilla, since you don't like sweets."

"I can handle chocolate," Syaoran deadpanned. What did Sakura think he was? Some sort of reclusive, old hermit?

"Okay, which kind?" Sakura turned too look at the pricing chart. Most of the ice cream was overpriced, but the group didn't care. They were plenty rich, and these normal_, sane_ people probably needed the money. "Syaoran?"

"I don't know…" He shook his head. It really didn't matter to him. It was just an ice cream. "You pick."

"Hm… Tomoyo, let's give him the craziest one here… that has chocolate," Sakura brightened. "Let's see… The five-scoop Triple Swirl deluxe with _sprinkles _and every other topping!"

Even the usually supportive Tomoyo winced at that. "I don't think you want to kill him until he's committed a felony. I don't think anyone but Kero could handle an ice cream like that."

What Syaoran wanted to know was if the scoops on top would fall off. Five-scoop Triple Swirl deluxe with sprinkles did not sound appealing, but he was no coward. He could handle it. He could handle _any_ ice cream that came in his way!

"That's okay. Whichever you pick is fine," he mumbled. "Just hurry and order before they all melt."

"Are you sure?" Sakura asked. "Maybe it's a little too crazy." In the end, he got a double-scoop chocolate ice cream. He sighed with relief and stared at his melting ice cream. The day had gone pretty well, with the exception of the big chocolate ice cream debate…

Now that the day was slowing to an end, all he could think about was his leaving. It would not be long before he left for home. He was seriously considering giving out farewell gifts. He—the icicle prince, giving out gifts… It sounded wrong-- or strange at least.

Most of the people on his new friends list were mildly easy to buy for. There was always something they could use—a calendar, food, a new sewing kit, more food… Speaking of which, about his ice cream…:

It melted, melted, and melted some more.

"Syaoran? We're leaving." Sakura frowned. "Your ice cream's melting."

"Wha?"

Indeed, the ice cream had begun to drip down his shirt front. Syaoran yelped and reached for a napkin… at the same time Sakura did.

---

As soon as their hands touched, Syaoran turned beet red and retracted his hand. He turned and started walking away.

"Your shirt…?"

"Forget about it."

Sakura wondered what the matter with him was. Why is he jumpy all of a sudden? Could it be… because he touched my hand? Sakura frowned. Does he think I have germs? I hope not.

Yet it could be just that he's tired and wants to return to the castle. If I were him, I would feel exhausted, too.

Yeah… Sakura smiled. Syaoran isn't so hard to understand after all.

---(The following description is to fill a plot hole that people would otherwise trip over.)

The castle was very old. Its stone-cold chambers held many secrets, most of which even the royal family knew nothing about. Under wooden floorboards, there could be rats huddling quietly or termites creeping about. However the main secret was the deserted dungeon four stories below ground level.

It was a large room completely devoid of ornament. It was used only to keep prisoners during wars, long, long ago. Still, it was scarcely used and no one bothered to enter. Because of this, the stone remained eternally wet with various liquids. No moss could grow, and no uninvited critters wandered in.

What little rumor there was claimed it was the water that kept life out. It was an odd yellow-white, or maybe gold and silver, that had not completely mixed. There was always some white and some yellow and never anything in between.

From this water, a single plant grew. One had to wonder if it was really alive, since nothing else had grown. It was a dead parasite, maybe, or a crystal that curved and bent like a plant. It held no leaves and grew no flowers. Was it even a plant?

Nobody knew what it was. Most people suspected that it did not exist, that some lunatic made the whole story up. However, in the dungeon chamber was the undeniable evidence that _something_ liked the water that repelled all else.

---

AN: Yes, in this world, they have already invented ice cream. Why? Because I said so.

I think the name of Syaoran's guardian was Mr. Wei or something, but since I'm not sure, I left his real name out.

Wow. I think there is actually a plot in this. O. o . Not a good one, because the timeline is messed up, but it's a plot, okay? - -"

I already thought up the ending, and it will be pure fluff. X.x Since I choke on fluff (one paragraph can last me hours), I'll probably die of strangulation before I finish this. Xp For my sake, let's hope I do finish.

To everyone that reviewed: thank you so much! -- Reviewers make my world go 'round. Um… does anyone know what the 'reply' button does? - -" Never mind.  
'Byeeeeeee!


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